To confirm to the world His Presence with them and to confort Bro. Branham during the loss of his mother, the Lord gave His Prophet a vision of a hunting trip he would take in Canada. Also To show that He was the God of All Ceation -"The cattle on a thousand hills are His" - the Lord, in the vision, show His Servant that he would give him two unusual animals. Since Bro. Branham (like Bible Prophets) was a deep lover of nature, surely in this he would be conforted in his time of sorrow.
As he went to hunt this first animal he was in the company of two men, one of whom had on a green checked shirt. While stalking this deer-like creature he saw a doe and fawn of the same breed. After getting in position for a good shot he brought the animal down and went over to examine it. As he did so he saw a small, youthful-looking hand reach out and take hold of the 'tape' to measure the horn's length. The tape read exactly 42 inches.
Then, , The Lord showed him that he would get a second animal - a huge silver tipped bear. According to the vision, he would kill this bear with one shot. After it lay dead he pondered the thought that he had killed it with just a 270 rifle and 130 grain bullet which is actually too small for game that size. He skinned the bear. Then the vision left him.
He related the entire vision to his church congregation in Jeffersonville, months before it came to pass.
About another month went by and he received an invitation from Bud (Harvey) Southwick, a class A guide on the Alaskan highway, to come and hunt bear with another Christian Brother, Eddie Byskal, the guide's pastor. Bro. Branham had been up there before, and while there God wrought a Miracle of Healing in a Young Man's life.
Therefore, when this letter came inviting him to hunt, he felt he ought to go. He and Fred Sothman started out, and on the way up he told hundreds of people the vision. There were, therefore, many folks who were eagerly awaiting the outcome of the trip to see if this were the time or not that the vision would be fulfilled.
The two men went so far as to try to draw a picture of the setting in the country and of the two animals that would be taken.
After arriving and talking with his guide, he was informed that there simply weren't animals like that around there. In the first place even deer were scarce around there; then caribou have paneled horns which the animal did not have in the vision, and there were no bears around either, especially silver tipped grizzlies. The country was sheep country so they had better stick to that. Rev Branham was not concerned, for the vision could be fulfilled at a later date. He knew one thing, the vision would prosper - if not on this trip, then it would on another.
They started out to look for sheep. About three days back in the hills, Eddie fell in a creek, so he went back down to the trailer to change. The others kept on and reached a higher altitude. In the morning they went out and spotted their first try at a kill. They saw a caribou and a calf. Later they saw some sheep. Seeing a bull caribou, Eddie killed it and they dressed it out and took it into camp.
Brother Branham and Bud then went out with the thought of looking on the other side of the mountain for game. Brother Branham decided to scan the mountain view with his glasses. As he did, there was that animal of the vision. He handed the glasses to Bud. He saw a great big caribou but with horns that were different. They were not the paneled kind but more like those of a deer. The animal and the setting of the scenery were exactly right according to the vision.
Bud then mentioned to Brother Branham that there was supposed to be a bear also, and even a man with a green checked shirt. Brother Branham told him to look toward camp. There was Eddie in a green checked shirt that his wife had packed for him, and he had put it on because previously he had gotten wet.
Then Bud looked toward the caribou again. He was sure that it could not be taken as it was looking right their way and there wasn't enough covering to hide them. But they went on, and that beast didn't move. They walked up within 35 yards and Bro. Branham shot the caribou. There were others nearby, but they had paneled horns.
The Caribou with the deer-like horns, was down. BUT now came the question - Would there be a bear, too? It was something like the Old Testament question: God has provided manna, but can He provide water, too?
Bud picked up the glasses to scan the mountain. He could see the whole area and there wasn't either a bear or even a place where a bear could hide. Bud began to doubt, but Brother Branham reminded him that one of God's Names is "The Lord our Provider." It would be peculiar indeed if God promised a bear and then couldn't provide one. He gave the ram caught in a thicket, to Abraham when there weren't any rams around there. So a bear ought to appear on the scene shortly. And it was "Thus saith the Lord" that it would be a big silver tipped grizzly. They had seen the man in the green checked shirt; they had already killed what seemed an "impossible" animal, so they ought to have the third promise come true.
They started to walk, with Bud expressing his doubts. Not that he didn't want to believe, but it seemed pretty hard to believe with the sun going down, and no bear visible and no place for him to hide.
As Bud was scanning the area in one direction, Brother Branham was looking the other way. Suddenly he asked Bud to turn, and pointing to a spot on the mountain he asked him what he saw. There was the biggest silver tipped grizzly Bud had ever seen. He almost collapsed when he saw it. There was that bear on all fours, about as big as a cow. The wind was blowing through his hair, fluffing it up.
Bud was all for shooting the bear from that distance but according to the vision they were to come within 500 yards. He was afraid of getting too close, for a bear with a bullet in his heart can still come charging and killing, for grizzlies are killers and once were known as the terror of the plain, and often called by the Indians, "The bear that walks like a man."
So they walked on toward the bear. All the while Brother Branham carried that small 270 rifle with the 130 grain bullets. Bud knew that he needed a great Weatherby at least. But the vision had said a small gun at a close distance. The bear would be hit and would come rolling down almost across their feet.
Now a vision is a fine thing to have, but to be a part of it and fulfill it in face of grave danger is another thing. The Apostle Paul had the vision of the ship breaking up and going down and yet all men, even non-swimmers, were to get to shore safely. The vision was wonderful, but it took courage for Paul to be the leader in it. So the two men went on. Brother Branham encouraged Bud with the thought that even if he had but a BB gun he could get him, because God's word can't fail.
Slowly but surely they went closer with Bud asking for a shot in the back to break the back bone and cord and render him helpless. But Brother Branham determined it would be in the heart for disobedience to the vision could be failure or disaster. It was suggested that Bud stay behind. No, he wouldn't stay.
Within 300 yards they topped a little knoll and there he was. As he drove toward them, Bro. Branham shot him in the heart. The charge was very swift, for of course he was coming down hill. But suddenly he fell over within a matter of only 50 yards from the men.
The bear was dead. It was all perfect according to the vision.
Bud could hardly talk anymore. If the horns of the caribou would measure exactly 42 inches when they measured them at camp he felt he would start screaming. Brother Branham told him he felt he ought to start screaming right now because they would be exactly 42 inches.
When they got to the camp, Brother Branham told Bud to watch for Eddie's little son who was in camp, to come measure the horns, because it was the hand of a little fellow that he saw in the vision. When Eddie got the tape out to measure the horns, he called his son over to hold the end of it and there was that small hand holding the tape, exactly according to the vision. They measured exactly 42 inches.
Bud could hardly speak. He had seen almost too much, and turned to Brother Bill in wonder and asked him, if Brother Bill would tell him (Bud) where he would be next year. He felt he might as well know everything, he had seen and found out so much now.
Now, why does God do things like this? Because he loves us and cares for us. He wants to be in all our lives all the way. God did it to show us that indeed, a Mighty Prophet was among us. Some day we will realize that. I only hope it won't be too late.
The fulfillment of visions is a tremendous thing; but Bro. Branham's ministry has gone beyond Visions, in the realm of The Spoken Word. In This phase of The Ministry, he spoke the Word and it Came to Pass exactly as he spoke it. This is according to Mark 11:23...
"Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."
The following "links" will give a few examples of "The Spoken Word" ministry. Proving again that There has been a Mighty Prophet in the land. As it is written in Ezekiel 2:5...
"And they, whether the will hear, or whether they will forbear (for they are a rebellious house), yet shall know that there has been a prophet among them."
Follow these links to and see for yourself.....
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